Seal



Aug- 20, l940 l.. A. BUELL 2,212,434

4 SEAL Filed April 25, ,1940

Patented Aug. 2o, 1940 SEAL Leslie A. Buell, Holly, f

Application April 25, 1940, serlal'No. 331,649"

s claims. (c1. `,29e- 5317) This'. invention relates to an improved con- V4structionof seal, and more particularly to an improved construction of seal of the type generally used in sealing freight car doors.

n :More particularly', it is an object of this inventionto provide a seal, of the above referred to type; of simple construction and a few parts vto therebyv provide a seal which may be manufactured' ata very low cost.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide .an iniproved'seal wherein the looped portion of f the strap, adjacent one `of its en ds, is provided 'with a frangible portion located on the outer side of the'seal or casing and which will be ruptured if an attempt is made to force the seal and which will' be so positioned that the'fr'angible portion will vbe clearly visible to indicate that the seal hasA been tampered with, thereby `avoiding the possibility of the seal being forced openand then Earrangedto give the appearance that the seal is stillintact. f'

. lOther objects and advantages of the invention -Will hereinafter become more fully apparent from -thefollowing description of the drawing, which villustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and

wherein: r

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the seal flocked, v

Figure`-2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the same, taken substantially :through the center of the seal or casing and showing the strap end whenin a partially locked position," n

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the vstrap end ina fully locked position,

'Figurel is a longitudinal vertical sectional view .taken `substantiallyalong the plane of the line 4..'-4 of Figure 2i A 'Y "Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially along the plane of the line 55.5'of Figurel, and o Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the blank from whichthe strap is formed.

Referring more'particularly to the drawing, .-Wherein like reference characters designate like kor corresponding parts throughout the different vieWs;-'III designates .generally the car door seal vwhichlincludes generally a strap designated II,

and casing `or seal designated I2.

The strap I I, as best seen in Figure 6 is formed from a strip of relatively thinflexible metal and includesvan enlarged disk shaped end I3 which is cut `along the spaced lirles` I4 from its outer Yendv to adjacent its inner end to form a struckv'out portion or tongue I5. Adjacent the disk I3, thestrapll'is `provided with an enlarged portionv I6 alongaporti'on of one of its longitudinal edges, such enlargement being provided with elongated opening I1. The opposite edge of the strap II is provided with a notch I8 which is disthe .iskyena 113, of' .th 'tongue'or struck-out portion"^`I53 'disposed inthe posed in transverse alinement with the opening I'I, fora purpose vrwhich will-hereinafter become apparent. lThe strap'II vis provided with arestricted portion I9, provided with an opening 20,

adjacent that portion ofv kthe'strap which is prof vided with enlargement I6. Theopening vand the restricted portion I9 combine to form a frangible sectionZI, for a purpose which will hereinafterr becomev apparent. v" Adjacentl 'its op'- posite end the strap I I is'provided with an elongated opening 22 'and anl opening l23 between the opening '22 andthe intermediatev portion of the strap II. v

The tongue or struck-out portion I5' is shaped, as seen in Figure 2, being bowed loutwardlyrela.- tively tothe disk I3 with its freeend` extending throughthe opening 24 formed by the tongue l I5 in 'the disk'l3. "Intermediate of its ends lthe tongueor struck-out portion I5` is provided -Asects the opening I'I intermediate of its ends to position portion I6 in spacedl apart, substantially parallel relationship tothe contiguous portion of the strap Il'to 'forma slotted passage 21 therebetweenasbest seen in Figures 2, 3 and 5.

vWhen thus folded', the 'opening AI'I forms a 'notch corresponding to the notch I 'Ihe casing orfseal 2l is substantially spherical shaped and is formed of the sections 28 andv 29,

' each 'Tof' which is substantiallyV hemispherical. 'The'sections 28 an'd 29"have their edges bent to provide outwardly offesetinwardly opening channel portions 30 and 3|, respectivelyfwhicheX# tend substantially three.'"quarters ofthe' way around saidedges The channel portion 30 is adapted to receive'th'e edge ofthe disk' I3 and the 'channel portion 3|,vr which isv larger thanl the channel portion 30,' is' ad'apted'tol fit thereover f and' be clampedthereto to form the crimped joint 32 for connecting the' sections 28 and 29 to form the'sealor casing I2'. Between the endsof the joint 32,' the edges vofl the sections 28 and 29 areprovided with opposed'cutout portions forming an opening 33for receiving the enlargement IB and the contiguousfporti'onfof the strap II.

of' the openings 3?`l ardispo'sedin the notches 1.1 land, I8.,fQr'SeC.11r1r.Xing thesealor. casing l2 an il, with the seal I2 and forming a resilient latch element, as will hereinafter be described. When the casing or seal I2 is thus' assembled on the disk end I3 of I6 is Eadapted `to be lfolded5 fao fio

'Theiportions of the seal I2,v define the end s the strap II, said end forms the secured end of the strap, and the opposite end thereof, which is provided with the opening 22, constitutes the free end of the strap, designated 34, which is adapted to be passed through the slotted passage 21 and into the casing or seal I2 along the side of the disk I3 opposite to that on which is dispo-sed the latch element I5. As the end 34 is advanced into the seal I2 its leading end engages and retracts the free end of the latch ele-` ment I5 causing it to retract to permit the end 34 to pass and be held thereby in a retracted ,position until the opening 22 is in position to receive it at which time it is projected, due to its resiliency, through saidppening 22 and into the "position, as seen in Figure 2. The end 34 is then retracted relatively to the seal I2 causing the latch element I5 to be drawn through the opening 22 and into the position, as seen in Figure 3,

Y'for securely connecting the ends of the strap I I to thereby form the loop 35 in the intermediate portion thereof. If an attempt is made to release the end 34 to open the seal, as by passing a blade through the passage 27 between the ends of the strap II for retracting the latch element I5,

the leading end of the blade will contact the stop 25 which projects toward the slotted passage 21 and which will therefore prevent the latch elementv I5 from being retracted in this manner. If an attempt is made to force the seal by pulling loutwardly on the end 34 the frangible portion 2| lead seal.

As the seal I0, like all seals of its type, is destroyed when openedfthe seal is only intended and adapted to be used once and it is therefore necessary to provide a construction that can be manufactured as reasonable as possible and this result is accomplished by forming the latch ele'- ment or tongue I5` integral with the strap II .thereby greatly reducing the expense of manufacture.

Various. modifications and changes are Vcontemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seal comprising an elongated strap, a cas'- ing secured to and enclosing one end of said strap, said end having an elongated struck-out 'portion'forming va slot in the strap, said struckout portion forming an arcuately shaped spring latch, the' 'free' end of said latch extending through the slot in said strap, said housing having an opening to receive the opposite end of the strap, and said last mentioned end having an opening to receive the free endof said latch for connecting the ends of the strap,

\ 2. A seal as in claim 1 said latch being folded `uponitself, intermediate of its ends, to form a lug to be drawn through the opening in the last `mentioned end of the strap, when said end is retracted relatively to the casing to form a stop to prevent an implement being inserted into the housing, between the strap ends, for retracting the latch element.

3. A seal comprisinga strap having an enlarged end provided with an integral struck-out 5 strip forming a slot in said end, a casing enclosing said end, and provided with an opening through which the strapl projects, said struckout strip being arcuately shaped and being disposed with its free end projecting through the 10 slot of said enlarged end, and the opposite, free end of the strap being insertable through the opening in the casing for engaging and retracting the free end of said strip relative to the slot, the free end of the strap having an open- 15 ing to receive the free end of said strip', when the free end of the strapl is fully insertedin the casing, for connecting the strap ends.

4. A car `door seal comprising an elongated strap having an enlarged disk shaped end pro- "20 vided with an integral elongated strip struck out from said disk shaped end and forming a slot therein, said strip being bowed relatively to the plane of said end and disposed on one side there- A of to form a latch element, said latch element having its free end projecting through said slot, said strap having a laterally enlarged portion adjacent its disk shaped end, said laterally' enlarged portion being folded back onto the contiguous portion of the strapto form a passagef30.

therebetween to receive the opposite end-of the strap, said oppositegend having an opening to receive the free end of the latch member when the free end of the strapI is inserted through said V passage, and a seal secured to and enclosing said`335 disk shaped end and said latch element.

5. A car door seal as in claim 4, said seal being formed of hemispherical sections having an inwardly opening channel shaped joint-for receiving the marginal edge of said disk shaped end for '340 positioning said end relatively to the seal.'

6. A car door seal as in claim 4, said latch element being folded upon itself, intermediate of its ends, to form a lug, said lug projecting'from the inner side of said latch elementand'oblique- 53:5 ly toward its secured end to 'provide a stop to prevent insertion of an instrument between the ends of the strap for retracting the latch element.

7. In a car door seal,an elongated ilexible strap,

a seal secured to and enclosing one end of said i strap and provided with an opening in which a portion of the strap, adjacent said end', is' disposed, Y the enclosed end of said strap being provided with an integral resilient latch element, said latch element being bowedv outwardly relatively to one 355 side of said enclosed end, and having its free end extending across the planeiof the enclosed end of said strap, the opposite, free end of the's'trap being. provided with an vopening and being insertable through the opening of said seal and on the (C opposite side of said enclosed end for retracting the free end ci the latch elementand for posi-- tioning its opening to receive the latch element for connecting the ends of the strap.

8. A car door seal as in claim'7, said latch e165 element having a stop, intermediate of its ends, projecting from its inner side andlto-Ward its se'- cured end, to prevent an instrument being in'- serted between the ends of the'strap for retracting the latch element out of engagement.v with 25:70 the opening in the free end of. the strap.y y

LESLIE A. BUEIL/ 

